Hollow Knight Is a Beautiful Place to Get Completely Lost and Slightly Terrified

The little town of Dirtmouth doesn't look particularly inviting. A few lonely buildings sit above an abandoned well, and the remaining inhabitants have little to say about the ruined kingdom beneath their feet. Yet that entrance leads into Hallownest, an enormous underground world filled with forgotten civilizations, strange creatures, and secrets that rarely reveal themselves without a little effort.

Released in February 2017, Team Cherry's Hollow Knight takes the familiar Metroidvania formula and builds something wonderfully atmospheric around it. I think its greatest strength is making exploration feel genuinely uncertain. There's always the possibility of discovering another passage, but that curiosity comes with danger, particularly when the nearest safe place is several rooms away.

Hallownest Doesn't Care If You Know Where You're Going

Exploration begins with very little guidance. The Forgotten Crossroads introduces branching paths, dangerous enemies, and passages that cannot yet be reached. Finding the wandering cartographer Cornifer provides a map, but even that requires additional equipment to become particularly useful.

Maps must be updated through exploration, and the Wayward Compass charm is needed to display your position. It's an unusually demanding approach to navigation, especially compared with modern games that constantly highlight the next objective.

I appreciate how it encourages players to pay attention to their surroundings. Recognizing familiar landmarks becomes important, while discovering a shortcut can feel more rewarding than finding another collectible. The frustration of getting lost is real, but so is the satisfaction of finally understanding how two distant areas connect.

Every New Ability Makes the Kingdom Feel Bigger

The Knight begins with a simple nail for attacking and relatively limited movement options. Progress gradually introduces abilities such as dashing, wall jumping, and double jumping, allowing access to previously unreachable locations.

These upgrades encourage revisiting familiar areas. A gap that once seemed impossible becomes manageable, while an unusual wall might conceal an entirely new route. There's a particular pleasure in remembering a blocked passage and finally returning with the ability needed to explore it.

The world is enormous, and its interconnected design makes discoveries feel significant. I think Hollow Knight handles this progression particularly well because additional abilities improve both exploration and combat rather than serving as simple keys for locked doors.

Those Cute Little Bugs Can Be Surprisingly Dangerous

Combat is built around simple attacks, precise movement, and careful timing. The Knight's nail provides a dependable weapon, while spells consume Soul collected by attacking enemies.

Soul can also be used to heal, creating an important decision during difficult encounters. Spending it on offensive abilities may end a fight sooner, but keeping enough available for recovery provides a valuable safety net.

Bosses become increasingly demanding, testing movement, attack recognition, and patience. Encounters with characters like Hornet require players to understand their opponent rather than rely on repeated attacks.

The combat occasionally feels unforgiving, particularly when bosses have long journeys between checkpoints. Returning after a failed attempt can become more frustrating than the actual fight, especially when ordinary enemies complicate the journey.

Losing Your Geo Is Painful Enough Without Getting Lost Again

Death introduces another layer of tension. Defeated players leave behind a Shade containing their lost Geo, requiring them to return and defeat it to recover their money.

Dying again before recovering the Shade permanently loses the stored Geo. It's an effective way to make dangerous exploration feel consequential, but the system can be unnecessarily punishing.

I think the combination of limited checkpoints, confusing routes, and lost currency occasionally pushes frustration too far. Exploring unfamiliar territory is exciting until a difficult encounter creates another lengthy trip through enemies you've already defeated.

The Ruins of Hallownest Have Stories Worth Discovering

The hand-drawn environments give each region a distinct personality. Greenpath's overgrown passages contrast with the rainy streets of the City of Tears, while deeper regions become increasingly unsettling.

Christopher Larkin's soundtrack complements the atmosphere beautifully, moving between quiet, melancholy melodies and more demanding battle compositions. The world feels abandoned without becoming lifeless.

The story unfolds through environmental details, unusual characters, and scattered fragments of dialogue. Much of Hallownest's history remains open to interpretation, which suits an adventure built around uncovering forgotten places.

There's Always Another Secret Beneath the Surface

Hollow Knight remains an excellent Metroidvania because its exploration, combat, and atmosphere work together so naturally. The interconnected world rewards curiosity, while new abilities and challenging bosses give the adventure a satisfying sense of progression.

Its difficult navigation, demanding checkpoints, and occasionally punishing death system won't appeal to everyone. Nevertheless, I would strongly recommend Hollow Knight to players who enjoy discovering secrets without constant guidance. Hallownest can be frustrating, confusing, and downright hostile, but there are few underground worlds quite as rewarding to explore.